"What the hell is 'Lightning Prison Kirin'?"
Aoki Yoru threw the stone in his hand hard into the lake, skipping it beautifully, while muttering complaints.
He strongly suspected that this was propaganda from that old geezer, the Third Hokage; otherwise, battlefield intelligence wouldn't have spread across the entire Ninja World in just a few days.
This was a god-making campaign. By constantly promoting powerhouses like Kakashi and talented youths like himself, they were showcasing Konoha's strength, making people believe that Konoha was thriving.
It let merchants and nobles from various countries know that Konoha was still the strongest nation in the Ninja World, encouraging them to quickly come and issue missions, with guaranteed completion rates.
He, on the other hand, was the one suffering. He had become a top-priority target for several major nations. Now, Aoki Yoru seriously suspected that his bounty on the black market had surpassed Asuma's.
Thinking of this, Aoki Yoru rubbed his chin and sighed. "I shouldn't run around everywhere from now on, lest I run into that guy Kakuzu, who only has eyes for money."
It wasn't that he was afraid of Kakuzu; rather, who knew who his partner was? What if he ended up drawing out Pain, that mini-boss?
"Hey, Yoru, what are you muttering about? Come and eat! The venison is cooked; if we keep roasting it, it'll get tough," Kenta shouted at him from afar, leaning on his crutches.
Aoki Yoru clapped his hands and slowly walked over. Looking at Kenta, who still had his limbs bandaged, he asked in confusion:
"Your injuries haven't healed yet. Why are you out here instead of resting in bed?"
Kenta sighed. "Ever since the reputation of our 'Little Sannin' trio spread, curious people have been coming in an endless stream. Every day, people come to gawk at us as if we were rare animals. I couldn't take it anymore, so I came out."
"Yeah, at first I quite enjoyed it, feeling like I'd finally made a name for myself, but later, I really couldn't stand it either," Jiei, who was turning the venison, chimed in.
Aoki Yoru nodded upon hearing this. He, too, had been coming here to train every day because he couldn't stand the curious gazes of others.
"Just bear with it. The curiosity will pass after a while."
Aoki Yoru then sat down, picked up some venison, took a big bite, and said casually:
"The war is about to end. Yesterday, I heard Kakashi-sensei say that Advisor Mito will be signing a peace treaty with Kumogakure the day after tomorrow."
Jiei smiled knowingly upon hearing this. "It's finally ending. Yoru, Kenta, the three of us are lucky. Hardly any other teams are still intact."
As she spoke, she stretched out her hands and looked at them, her tone heavy and helpless. "Lately, every day I've watched severely injured comrades die despite treatment, and I was powerless to do anything. I could only watch them pass away amidst their wails."
Aoki Yoru and Kenta heard this, silently put down their venison, and said nothing, as if mourning the deceased.
"This is war!" After a long while, Aoki Yoru spoke up.
He looked up at the blue sky and white clouds. The chirping of birds could be heard in his ears; everything seemed so full of life.
"It will get better! This world won't always be caught in the vortex of war."
Suddenly, some noise came from nearby.
"Ah, found you! Senior Yoru and the others are indeed here."
Aoki Yoru turned to look and saw Tenten waving at them from a distance, with Neji and Lee standing beside her.
The three of them quickly walked toward Aoki Yoru. The lively Tenten cupped her hands and congratulated them with a grin:
"Senior Yoru, Senior Kenta, and Senior Jiei, congratulations on becoming famous throughout the Ninja World!"
The three of them heard this, looked at each other, and shook their heads with a bitter smile.
Kenta propped himself up with his crutches and stood up. "This is nothing. War is the easiest way to make a name for yourself. As long as you train hard, you'll have the chance to become famous throughout the world in the next war."
"Oh! Senior Kenta, that is so well said! I will train ten times harder to try to keep up with Senior Kenta's pace!" the green-clad, bowl-cut boy shouted immediately, cheering himself on.
Kenta nodded with satisfaction. "Mm-hmm, Lee, you're right. It takes ten or a hundred times the effort to keep up with the footsteps of a genius."
Lee looked at Kenta with a face full of emotion.
Aoki Yoru looked at the two approaching figures, black lines appearing on his forehead. 'Has Kenta been training with Might Guy-sensei for too long? Has he become Guy-fied?'
Imagining Kenta with a bowl cut and wearing a green spandex suit, Aoki Yoru couldn't help but shiver.
"Senior Aoki, I would like to ask for your guidance on Chakra Nature Transformation." Hyuga Neji walked up to him, bowed, and said.
Aoki Yoru glanced at him in surprise. "Doesn't the Hyuga Clan have its own training system? I thought you would specialize in the Hyuga Gentle Fist."
Neji shook his head. "Ever since our spar last time, I realized how narrow-minded I was. Both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu can be incorporated into oneself and transformed into one's own techniques."
Then, his expression turned serious, his eyes determined. "Especially after seeing your battle against the Eight-Tails, I realized the limitations of the Gentle Fist. Even if the Clan Head were here, he would be helpless against a monster of that size."
Hearing Neji's words, Aoki Yoru looked at him with appreciation. He was finally willing to jump out of the inherent framework of the Hyuga Clan, actively breaking free from the barriers of his clan to incorporate everything into himself. This was the only way to become a powerhouse.
Since he had asked, Aoki Yoru didn't hold back and broke down the Chakra Nature Transformation, explaining it to him one by one.
Although he only mastered Lightning Release Nature Transformation, with his comprehension, understanding one meant understanding all; teaching Neji wasn't difficult.
In the end, the other four also gathered around to listen. Such an opportunity was rare, and it would be of great benefit to their future cultivation.
Finally, Neji, who had suddenly realized the truth, stood up and bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior. This junior will never forget it."
For him, this was a precious treasure. In the Hyuga Clan, as a member of the branch family, it was impossible for him to learn this knowledge, yet the Senior had imparted it to him without reservation.
Aoki Yoru patted his shoulder and said, "Neji, you are a genius. Don't get stuck in a rut. Don't let the cage bind you. Break free from it and fly freely."
In his past life, while watching the anime, he had felt indignant about Neji Hyuga's fate. Among the Konoha 12, only he died. The son of a scapegoat was ultimately a scapegoat; Neji had never broken free from that bird in a cage.
Hearing this, Neji's eyes turned red. "Yes, I will."
The next day.
Aoki Yoru and the other two stood in the command center, with Jiraiya sitting at the head, looking at them with interest.
Aoki Yoru felt that Jiraiya's gaze seemed to be able to penetrate him, seeing through him from head to toe.
Kenta and Jiei looked at Jiraiya with curiosity. The legendary Sannin! This was the second one they had ever seen.
"Hahaha, I've long wanted to meet you 'Little Sannin.' It's a pity I've been busy dealing with war issues lately. I only have time now. Truly, heroes come from the youth!"
Aoki Yoru put on a standard smile. "Not at all! Lord Jiraiya is the famous Sannin. We are just called 'Little Sannin' by others; how could we be mentioned in the same breath as you, the true Sannin?"
Jiraiya waved his hand after hearing this. "You're being modest, kid. Even I wouldn't be able to take that technique."
Then, his expression turned serious. "I called you here this time because the rewards from the village for you have arrived."